Axle construction



June 9, 1953 A. A. GASSNER 2,641,499

AXLE CONSTRUCTION Filed March 7, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

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AXLE CONSTRUCTION Filed March '7, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ]NVENTOR.. i l IJune 9, 1953 A. A. GASSNER 2,641,499

v AXLE CONSTRUCTION Filed March 7, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

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Patented June 9, 1953 UNITED STATE AXLE CONSTRUCTION Alfred A. GassnerNew York, N. TYQ-assignor to American Car and Foundry' Company, NewYork, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 7, 1947,Serial No. 733,097

4 Claims. (01. 295-36) more particularly to axle structures for railwaycars.

An object of the invention is to provide an axle structure, serving asthe support for a railway car of the trailer type, constructed to beconnected with and to allow movement of the adjacent end of the carframing without interference.

Another object of theinvention is to provide a drop or underslung axlestructure composed of a plurality of sections that may be readilyassembled or disassembled.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sectional axle structureof the drop type for railway cars in which a lower section of varyinglengths may be utilized to suit various track gauges.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art from a study of the following description andaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a section of a railway train. 1

Figure 2 is a plan View of one end of a railway car supported on an axleconstructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the axle structure.

Figure 4 is an end view of the axle structure.

Figure 5 is a bottom view of one end of the axle structure with ananti-side sway device attached thereto.

Figure 6 is a bottom view of another end of the axle structure with ananti-side sway damping device attached thereto.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the framing H] ofa railway car 9 has at one end a central rearwardly extending portion Hand rearwardly extending side portions |2 forming wheel housingstherebetween. Draft coupling |3 is fixed to central portion II and has adepending extension |4 formed with bottom side slots l5. Track wheels l6are journalled on an axle structure I! and are positioned partially inthe wheel housings.

The axle structure is of the drop or underslung type and formed ofsections rigidly secured together. A bottom transversely extendingsection 3 is formed preferably of tubing of reduced diameter at the endsl9. Two stub axles 20 form the upper sections of the axle structure andare carried by the upper end portions of arms 2| and form other sectionsof the axle structure. The lower end portions of the arms are bifurcatedproviding flanges 22 for receiving the ends of the tubing section. Theflanges are clamped to the 2 a tubing by bolts 24, and the tubingsection is further secured to the arm flanges by bolts 25. Stub axles 20extend through openings 26 in the upper ends of the arms and are securedthereto by bolts 21. i

A brake backing plate 28 is arranged adjacent the outer face of theupper end of each arm and is secured thereto by bolts 29. The stub axlesoutside of the back plates are formed with spaced bearing receivingsurfaces 30 and 3| and ate.- pered surface 32 is formed betweensurfaces30 and 3| which are ofdifferent diameters, thesmalldiameter'surface 3| being nearest the outside end of the stub shafts.The outer end 33 of each stub shaft is threaded and-between suchthreaded end andsurface 3| is a bearing surface 34. "The inner end 35 ofeach stub shaft is threaded and the shaft surface 36 between thethreaded end and the carrier arm is formed out-of-round, preferablysubstantially square in cross section.

Surfaces 30, 3| and 32 of the stub axles serve as the carrier forbearingson which wheels Iii are mounted. Surfaces 36 serve as a mountingfor combined radius rod and torque reaction devices 31. Surfaces 34serve as journals for hangers 38 to which strut devices 39 areconnected. Theradius rod and torque reaction'devices form the subjectmatter of copending application Serial Number 729,236, filed February18, 1947, and the strut devices from the subject matter of copendingapplication Serial Number 733,098, filed March '7, 1947. The strutdevices are pivoted at to the framing and the devices 31 are pivoted at6| to the framing.

The forward faces of the lower portion of arms 2| are formed with flatbearing surfaces 40, 4| for the mounting of the outer end portions ofanti-side sway devices 4243, such devices forming the subject matter ofcopending application Serial Number 733,096, filed March 7, 1947. Device42 includes a fluid shock absorber housing 44 having a flanged face 45secured against arm surface 40 by bolts 25. A vane shaft 46 extends fromthe housing and has an arm 41 fixed thereto carrying pin 48 on which arod structure 49 is pivotally mounted. The other end of this rodstructure extends into one of the side slots [5 of coupling extension l4and is mounted on pin 50 extending across the slot.

Device 43 includes a cylinder 5| from which a spring centered piston rodstructure 8 extends and projects into the other groove l5 in thecoupling extension where it pivots on pin 52 extending across thegroove. The cylinder has an extension 53 pivotally mounted on pin 54carried by hanger 55. The hanger has a. flat rear surface that is heldagainst arm bearing surface 41 by bolts 25.

The axle structure, being bolted together, may be readily assembled ordisassembled and it provides bearing or retaining surfaces for thevarious devices for connecting and controlling relative movement of theaxle structure and the car framing." Nuts 56 are screwed on axle ends 35and similar nuts are screwed on axle ends 33 to secure the stub axlesand devices 42 and 43 axially with respect to the arms. The lower axletubing l8 may be of various lengths to suit difierent track gauges, andthus the other axle structure sections may be utilized for all trackgauges.

What is claimed is:

1. A drop axle structure comprising a lower member, upstanding armsfixed at their lower end portions to the end portions of the lowermember, a stub axle extending through the upper end portion of each arm,each of said stub axles having a wheel bearing portion on the endprojecti'ng beyond the outer side of the associated arm, an out-of-roundbearing portion entirely on the end projecting beyond the inner side ofthe associated arm and radius rod anchor sleeves having interiorsurfaces complimentary to and mounted on the out-of-round portions ofthe stub axles, and means fixing the stub axles to the arms.

2. A drop axle structure comprising a lower member, upstanding armshaving bifurcated lower end portions through which the ends of the lowermember project, means clamping the bifurcated arm ends on the ends ofthe lower member, stub axles projecting through and carried by the upperend portions of the arms, said stub axles having a wheel bearing portionbeyond the outer side of the associated arms and a strut hanger bearingportion outwardly beyond the wheel bearing portion and in axialalignment therewith, and means fixing the stub axles to the arms.

3. A drop axle structure comprising a lower member, upstanding armshaving upper carrier heads and bifurcated lower ends fixed on the endportions of the lower member, stub axles projecting through the armheads, said axles having 5 yond the inner side of the associated heads,

radius rod anchor sleeves on the out-of-round bearing portions havinginternal bearing portions complimentary thereto, and means securing thestub axles to the heads.

10 4. A drop axle structure comprising a lower member, upstanding armshaving upper carrier heads and bifurcated lower ends positioned aroundthe end portions of the lower member, bolt means clamping the bifurcatedlower ends 15 of the arms on the ends of the lower axle structuremember, stub axles projecting through the arm heads having. wheelbearing surfaces outside of the associated heads and radius rod anchorbearing surfaces on the ends beyond the inner sides of the associatedheads, said arms having a bearing surface on the lower rear portionthereof, means securing the stub axles to the arm heads, and shockabsorber anchor members socured against the bearing surfaces on saidarms by said bolt means.

ALFRED A. GASSNER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 380,344 Paterson Apr. 3, 1888 491,591 Pray Feb. 14, 1893941,517 1 Gruenfeldt Nov. 30, 190.9 1,661,815 Britt Mar. 6, 19281,799,943 Alden Apr. 7, 1931 1,946,624 Irish Feb. 13, 1934 2,072,198Davis Mar. 2 1937 2,081,996 Hacker June 1, 1937 2,217,033 Van Dorn Oct..8, 1940 2,462,666 Omar Feb. '22, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 5 Number CountryDate 687,417 Germany Feb. 21, 1940

